FATED
by Wench of Diablos
Summary: How would the story be different if the character's genders were swapped? Novelization, with behind the scenes passages and multi character POV's in coming chapters!


_**Disclaimer: **FVIII Is owned by SquareSoft. _

_**Author's Notes**: This is my attempt at writing a FFVIII Gender Swap fiction. I'm very proud of this, but I'm pretty sure someone has done this before me. I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I haven't read nay others, so I apologize in advance if I've stepped on any toes here. _

_Because this story involves the switching of the character's gender, keep in mind things will be a little AU, and the characters themselves might be a bit out of character. To keep things interesting, I've included a few 'Behind the Scenes' passages. These are just little tidbits that were implied in the game, but not included in the story line. Please also note, some sections have been left out because I either didn't think they were essential to the story, or they bored me to tears while trying to write. Some situations have been compressed-two conversations into one, and others have been expanded. _

_Here's a name change guide, just to avoid confusion:_

SquallRaine

_SeiferSyfera_

_QuistisQuintin_

_ZellZella_

_SelphieSelphan_

_RinoaNoah_

_IrvineIrvy_

_CidCidra (Cid)_

_Edea Edeus_

_Laguna Laguna_

_Kiros Kyrie_

_Ward Wara_

_Julia Jude_

_Raine Storm_

_Ellone Ellott_

_Xu Xu_

_Vinzer Deling Vinzea Deling_

_Adel Ados_

_Ultimecia Ultimeron_

_All other names stay the same._

**----------------------------------**

_**FATED**_

**----------------------------------**

**Part One**

_Feathers on the Wind_

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**I**

I gripped the handle of my gunblade and sneered at the opponent who faced me. Syfera's posture was casual, her expression bored, as if she'd rather be off doing something else, like beating the crap out of an underclassman just for the hell of it, or maybe plotting how to start a riot with her two cohorts, Raijin and Fujin. She flicked a strand of long blonde hair from her eyes and looked at me like she was waiting for something; waiting for me to advance, retreat or burst into tears and beg for my life.

She was a cocky one. She had been for as long as I'd known her, and I figured she would be for as long as I _would_ know her. That's just the way she was, and like it or not, I accepted her bad attitude and her hostility as easily as I accepted that the sun would come up without fail each morning. That didn't mean that I would go down without a fight. No matter how many times we battled each other, I'd never backed down, even if she beat me nine times out of ten.

We were rivals. We had always been. This too, I accepted, but we had been friends once, in the most vague sense of the word, and we hadn't always regarded one another as competition. I don't know when the change happened, but at some point, she changed. I think it was gradual, a change so slow that no one really noticed until it was too late. She'd always been a bully, and that hadn't changed, but in the last few years, she'd modified almost everything about herself - the way she walked, the way she dressed and even the way she wore her hair.

The change in the way she talked was a little more recent. Before, she'd been loud and boisterous. Even when she spoke in a normal tone, her voice had carried through the halls as if she were yelling. More recently, she'd adopted a softer, more throaty tone. She no longer yelled at people, instead, she spoke quietly, sometimes so quietly people had to lean in to hear what she was saying. That didn't change the fact that everything that came out of her mouth was either a threat or a demand. To be honest, this low, throaty way of speaking was, in a way, even more threatening. It was almost as if she were emulating someone she admired, but I couldn't figure out who that might be.

Syfera's always been one of those people we all thought would eventually crash and burn because of her reluctance to follow rules, but there was always the hope she'd turn out all right because she had so much potential. Everyone recognized it in her, even me, but she never cared. It seemed that she had no real desire to become a SeeD, she was just killing time at Garden until the right opportunity came along. Had she been some average student, she would have been expelled long ago. Because she had so much talent, and because she had nowhere else to go, the headmaster spared her each time she went to far. Everyone knew Cid had a soft spot for Syfera, despite everything she had done, and despite the fact that she walked on the sociopathic side of the street.

Potential or not, Syfera was reckless, even dangerous, so much so that the younger cadets, and even a majority of her peers were afraid of her and what she might do. One minute, she might smile at you like you were her best friend and the next, backhand you for no reason at all. Syfera reveled in the knowledge that everyone was afraid of her.

Unlike my classmates, what I felt for her was something altogether different. I didn't fear her. What I felt was resentment for the way she'd focused on my shortcomings. Some days it was like she was bent on humiliating me, and on others she wanted to_ annihilate _me. What I had done to deserve her wrath and ridicule was a question she'd never answered. Of course, I'd never bothered to ask, either.

She leaned on her gunblade like it was a cane and examined her fingernails, while Instructor Trepe made notes on his clip board. He was oblivious to the growing tension between us as he searched through his paperwork. "Just a moment longer, ladies. It looks like I've forgotten your evaluation forms."

I watched him retreat with a growing sense of dread. As soon as he was gone, Syfera grinned at me, though her eyes were as cold as Trabia in December. "Let's go," she said. There was a look in her eyes that bothered me.

She was out for blood. _ My _blood.

A cruel smile played on her lips and she ran a hand through her flaxen hair. She made a small come-hither gesture and winked. "Come get some, _Shim_. You know you want to."

I gritted my teeth. She'd given me that nickname when we were fifteen. At first, she'd called me the _She-Him _and it had eventually evolved into _Shim_. I hated that nickname with a passion, partly because it was true, at least, as far as outward appearences went. I wasn't girly at all, and I knew I never would be. I dressed and acted like a guy, except for my hair, which I'd refused to cut after she'd given me the nickname. I had let it grow past my shoulder blades, and it was dark, straight and healthy. It might have been pretty if it wasn't so neglected. I may have grown it out, but I could hardly be bothered to run a brush through it most days.

Just because I dressed and acted like a dude didn't mean I was a_ Shim_. Just because I didn't consider my breasts a weapon of mass destruction or have sex with my instructors to persuade them to give me a better grade that didn't mean I was sexless. The sexuality was there, I supposed, it was just something I didn't think about. Much.

"Come on. Show me what you've got," she teased, and I could see in her eyes that she knew she was getting a rise out of me.

I hesitated to strike because the instructor had not returned. I didn't want a black mark against me when it came time for my scores to be totaled. When I failed to act, Syfera advanced, her blade raised to strike me down. I countered her blow with a smooth upward stroke and was rewarded with the sound of metal striking metal. There was no turning back now, and I had no choice but to fight her.

Above us, lightning flashed and rain began to pelt the clear glass ceiling of the training center. The sky above was a bruised violet, tinged with green and sliced through with hot white streaks of light. Claps of thunder made the ground tremble beneath my feet. I swung my blade and lunged toward her, forcing her back. She countered each blow with ease, but I would not relent. I'd had enough of her taunts and her attacks. I realized as we fought that this might end up badly for the both of us, but I was past the point of no return. I didn't care about the consequences. For a few moments, I didn't care about my evaluation, or becoming a SeeD. I was willing to _kill _her, if necessary. That's what I'd been trained to do, after all, and I wasn't exactly overwhelmed with concern for her life. Especially when I considered that at this very moment, she was willing to take mine, just for fun.

The tempo of the battle picked up and I completely lost control of that part of myself that was capable of restraint. I ceased to be a girl and became an animal that could only act and react, going on instinct as I defended myself against her. For a few minutes, the rules didn't apply to us. This was no training session, this was something primal, brutal and supremely violent. It was for real this time. She intended to kill me, by any means possible, and maybe, I intended to kill her too.

I didn't feel the way my muscles strained with each strike and each parry, and I didn't notice the sweat that soaked every inch of my body. I was a machine, a creature designed to fight, to kill. For the first time, I truly wanted to destroy her as much as she wanted to me. Every ounce of my strength went into defending and attacking.

She hit me with a Fire spell, even though no magic was allowed during sparring sessions. We were only supposed to fight with our blades and our wits, but we had already taken this _way_ beyond what anyone would have considered standard practice session.

The spell hit me hard and I was sent to the ground by the searing blast of heat. For a few seconds, I was stunned but I got to my feet, not ready to admit that she'd won. As I got up, I prepared to counter with a Blizzard spell. Before I could complete the incantation, she brought her blade down in a smooth arch. I saw it coming, but had no time to counter. The blade caught me between the eyes with the force of a hammer blow. I felt the tip cut through my flesh and scrape the bone beneath, but I felt no pain. Blood poured down my face and splashed the rocks at my feet.

There was something about seeing my own blood that pissed me off. I hadn't known until then that I was still capable of more. I had a lot more fight left in me. I pushed myself up again, got to my feet and let fly a powerful upward stroke that sent sparks flying as my blade scraped the rocks at my feet. Momentum carried the blade upward, though I couldn't see my adversary through my sweat and blood stung eyes. Nevertheless, I felt my blade connect. The impact sent it spiraling out of my hands.

It didn't matter.

The battle was over. We'd gone too far.

I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my coat and glanced at Syfera. Blood streamed down her face from the cut I had inflicted. Her hand floated up to her forehead, touched the wound and then fluttered away. She stared at the blood on her glove and let out an angry growl as she realized that I had struck her back. While I gave no thought to my own injury or the scar it might leave, I knew she thought I had disfigured her for life. She paled, swayed and fell to her knees.

I felt no satisfaction in knowing I'd wounded her. Every ounce of my satisfaction was devoted to the knowledge that I'd given as good as I had got. I'd fought dirty right back and she didn't expect, or like it. Neither of us had won, but I had proved something. Not to her, but to myself.

Exhausted, I fell onto the rocks beneath me and stared up at the storm that raged above. The foul weather gave the false appearance of a premature dusk, though it was only mid afternoon. To me, the churning clouds and driving rain looked like a sky full of drifting, swirling gray feathers.

**-------------------------------------------**

**II**

_The gray had given way to white. Was it snowing? No. It was warm here, the sun was shining. I looked around because I had the feeling I wasn't in the training center, but I couldn't be sure. I couldn't see anything but the swirling storm of feathers. It smelled different here, too. The coppery scent of blood and sweat had been replaced by the scent of some kind of fragrant flower. Not roses. Something like honeysuckle or gardenia, and it reminded me of something long ago, but I couldn't remember where or when that was._

_Where was I? I'd been here before, hadn't I? If there hadn't been so many feathers, maybe I could tell where I was and maybe it would come back to me._

_"You're here, just like you promised you'd be," a man's voice whispered. I sensed him behind me, but when I spun around to confront him, all I saw were more feathers. I knew he was close. I could sense him. I reached out to touch him, to see if he was real, if he was there, but when I did, the only thing I could feel were the feathers as they brushed against my skin._

_"It's ok if you can't say it. I know how you feel."_

_I didn't know what he was talking about. "Whatever."_

_The man laughed. "So predictable. That's my Raine. A stoic, even now."_

_"Where are you?" I asked. I looked around. He sounded so close. The feathers swirled faster as a gentle breeze stirred the air and I caught a fleeting glimpse of a field of flowers. I **did** know this place. I just couldn't recall where it was, or when I'd been there. _

_I felt his hands on my shoulders and his breath against my skin as his lips grazed my neck. Stunned by the intimacy of his touch, I stood there paralyzed, and couldn't decide if I was thrilled or revolted. Gooseflesh raised along my arms and I shivered. The feel of him standing behind me, holding me that way ignited something in me that I couldn't name. Something I wasn't sure I wanted to name. _

_"I'm right here," he whispered. "Open your eyes . . . "_

**----------------------------------------**

_"Raine, open your eyes."_

I groaned and sat up, wincing at the way my muscles ached and my head throbbed. After a quick glance around the room, I understood I was in the infirmary. There was no mistaking he medicinal smell of hospital antiseptic, a scent I have come to know well over the years, thanks, for the most part, to Syfera.

Had I been here all night? It seemed so. I wondered if Syfera had been here too. I glanced at the bed beside mine and saw that it was empty, but the sheets were peeled back and rumpled, as if the occupant had left recently. Perhaps she had been.

I reached up and touched the bandage on my forehead. The flesh beneath was tender and swollen, and I winced from the pain. There was probably a _vicious_ bruise under the bandage, and possibly a few stitches. I hoped Syfera was feeling as crappy as I was.

"So we meet again, Raine," a young man's voice whispered.

I hadn't noticed him in the doorway and his sudden appearence gave me a start. He knelt beside my bed, and he looked concerned as he eyed the bandage on my forehead. He had dark brown hair and dark eyes, and there was something very familiar in his face, but I had no idea who he was. To say we had never met would have been a lie, but to say I knew him would not have been true either. I felt as if I _had_ known him, that he'd once been someone important to me, but I had no memory of him. The past tugged at me, a memory of a far away place and a field of flowers, but then it was gone.

"It's been a long time," he continued. "You look so grown up."

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember me?"

"I don't think so."

"That's too bad. I've missed you," he said. He stroked my hand and smiled sadly down at me. "I shouldn't have come. You should be resting."

As quickly as he appeared, he was gone. I didn't know who he was, but I knew for certain that he wasn't the mystery man from my dream. When he'd touched my hand, it didn't evoke the same response in me as my dream guy had.

I touched the bandage again, and as if he sensed me messing with it, Dr. Kadowaki appeared in the doorway. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit."

Dr K grinned at me. "I can't imagine why."

"Save the sarcasm," I said.

"You're lucky it wasn't worse. An inch or so in either direction, and you might have lost an eye."

"Point taken, doc. Can I go?"

"Not yet," he said. He took a penlight from his coat pocket and pointed it into each eye, which made my head feel worse than it already did. After a moment, he nodded, satisfied with whatever he'd seen in my eyes. "Now, tell me your name."

I rolled my eyes. What, did he think I was two years old? "Raine Leonhart," I told him and for the next twenty minutes, I was subjected to a battery of simple tests. It annoyed me so much, I started getting sarcastic. .

"I'd say you're tongue's not injured," he muttered. "You'll be fine, but take it easy in training from now on."

"Tell Syfera that," I muttered.

"I've already spoken with her," he said. "Of course, she didn't listen. My advice to you is to just stay out of her way, before she drags you down with her."

"She's my training partner," I said. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"I mean, don't let her provoke you. She wants to piss you off, so don't let her."

I stared at him. He wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know. Ignoring her was a great idea in theory. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy when she was standing right in front of me, picking at my flaws. "Thanks for your concern, doc, but this is something I'm going to have to deal with on my own."

Dr. K shook his head and gave his patented look of fatherly concern. "No one can handle everything on their own, Raine."

It was on the tip of my tongue to make a smart remark, but I kept my mouth shut. He was one of a handful of people I actually respected, and I didn't think it would be wise to smart off to him. Besides, what was the point? No amount of justification on my part would change his mind.

"All right, young lady," Dr. K said. "Wait here while I call Quintin. I'm sure he'll want to make sure his favorite student is still in the running for today's exam."

Inwardly, I groaned. I had forgotten that my SeeD field exam was this afternoon. I'd aced the written exam two weeks ago, and the only thing standing between me and graduation was this exam. At least, I hoped so. For all I knew, my little brawl with Syfera last night had ruined my chances to even take the exam. I hoped not, but it wouldn't have surprised me if the powers that be decided that I wasn't ready.

Quintin arrived within minutes. I wasn't particularly keen on Quintin, especially since he'd become_ Instructor Trepe_. In fact, I could barely stand to be around him. As an instructor, he really was one of the best, but on a personal level, he drove me crazy. He'd decided that I needed all the extra attention he could give me and he'd pinned all his hopes on me because he claimed to see in me something that no one else had. It might have been ok if he hadn't been so creepy about it. He hovered over me like a cloud of hungry Bite Bugs, just waiting for me to give him some kind of sign that I was grateful.

As we left the infirmary, I prepared myself for the inevitable discussion about how I could change who I was, about how things would be different for me if I would just talk to him.

"This thing between you and Syfera has to stop," he said. "I knew it would eventually come to this. I'm just surprised neither of you died."

"If you knew, then why did you pair us together?"

"Well, you two are the only gunblade specialists in Garden," he said. "I couldn't exactly stick you with some hand-to-hand fighter, now could I? Besides, I had hoped that you two would bring out the best in one another."

"Whatever."

"Under the right circumstances," he began, but then didn't finish the sentence.

"You were there last night. You saw us. Why didn't you stop the fight?"

He gave me a tight smile. "I wanted to know what you were capable of."

Miffed, I continued walking. I didn't know what to think. Trepe had disregarded Garden policy because he wanted to know how good I really was?

He kept quiet until we stepped into the elevator to the second floor. The silence must have gotten to him because he said, "Something on your mind, Raine?"

_Aside from the canyon Syfera carved into my forehead?_

"Raine?"

"Nothing."

"You wouldn't tell me if there was, would you? That would damage your tough image."

I ignored his jab. I hated the way he constantly judged me and tried to make me into something I wasn't and never would be. He said it was because he wanted me to succeed. I didn't doubt that in his mind, he truly believed in what he was trying to do, but he wanted me to change everything about who I was.

Once upon a time, he and I had been in the same classes, but because of his book smarts, he was put into the accelerated program and he had become a SeeD at the age of 15, and at age 17, he became an instructor. He even had his own fan club, made up of students that admired him so much, they tried to act like him. They called themselves the _Trepies_, and to e honest, I was a little afraid of them. They were a rabid bunch of mindless drones, and completely _obsessed _with their master.

Star or not, he had only slightly more social skill than I did, which wasn't saying much, and he could be pretty childish when he wanted to be. I wondered if there was some trade off: lots of brains in exchange for maturity. And I didn't get his fascination with me. Even when we'd been mere students together, we weren't exactly what anyone would have called friends.

"Raine, I think if you opened up a bit, you'd see I'm not such a bad guy."

"Aren't you overstepping your bounds a little, Instructor?" I said. "I'm not supposed to _care_ if you're a bad guy or not, just whether you're a worthy instructor or not."

"After today, you'll be a SeeD. We _could_ be friends, you know."

"I don't think so."

He started to laugh, which was a surprise.

"What's so funny?"

"It must scare the hell out of you to know someone really cares about you," he said. He reached out to touch my hair, but I swatted his hand away and gave him a hateful look.

He withdrew his hand and smiled. "Have it your way. I can tell that deep down inside, that's what you really want. Someone to care."

I was disgusted. He was the one who needed someone to care about_ him_. I didn't give a shit whether he cared about me or not, I just wanted him to shut up and leave me alone. "You know nothing about me."

"Enlighten me, then. Tell me more about yourself."

I glared at him and headed down the hallway toward the classrooms. "It's none of your . . ."

"Business!" he finished for me, triumphant. He looked as if he'd just solved one of life's greatest mysteries or something. "I know you better than you think, Raine."

"Whatever."

He laughed again. "Whether you admit it or not, you need someone to lean on, even if it's only now and then."

"I don't need anyone. Especially not you."

I spun on my heel and headed for the classroom, without turning to see the hurt look I knew would be on his face. I was certain this wasn't the last time he'd bring up this subject, no matter how poorly I treated him. He was relentless. The only thing keeping me from telling him what was _really_ on my mind was the fact that he'd be my grader for the exam. After that, I was free to tell him off. I wasn't looking forward to that conversation, but it would eventually have to be done.

Inside the classroom, I took my seat at the back and switched on my computer console. Across the aisle from me Syfera sat with her head bowed. She refused to look at me, but I could tell she was feeling as rough as I did. As it was, I felt as if I'd had a date with a bottle of whiskey last night and figured she was feeling about the same. _ Good_. I was _glad_ I'd hurt her. Maybe she'd think twice about picking a fight with me from now on.

To be honest, I kind of missed the days when we'd gotten along. I didn't like having to watch my back in the same place I lived. It was kind of sad to think we would never be friends, and I hated the rivalry between us. We might be team mates one day, and I knew her hatred would not die upon graduation.

Of course, there was a good chance she'd fuck up the exam again. She'd already taken it twice and failed because she couldn't be bothered to follow orders. She did things her own way with an utter lack of regard for any orders she'd been given. This was her last chance. If she failed this one, she was out for good.

I barely paid attention to Quintin's lecture. I was too busy watching Syfera out of the corner of my eye. I didn't think she'd attack me in the classroom, but with Syfera, one never knew. She refused to look at me, and instead stared at her computer screen, even though it wasn't on. It was like she was making a_ point _not to look at me and that brought me a bit of satisfaction. To have her ignore me was a good thing. It meant I'd hurt her ego in some fundamental way. Otherwise, she would have sat there flashing that cold, smug smile at me, which would have been like rubbing salt in my wounds.

Hyne willing, this would be the last time I would have to sit in this classroom listening to Quintin talk about tactics, evasion and the rules of engagement. I was itching to become a SeeD. I'd worked long and hard to make it this far and I was determined not to let anything hold me back. I was ready to go out there and fight for real. Because of Syfera, I now knew I had it in me to fight without mercy.

"Those of you that passed the written exam will participate in the field exam this afternoon. If you are one of those students, you are free for the rest of the morning. Just be sure to meet at the Directory no later than 1400 hours for team assignment," Quintin said. "Everyone else will remain here and we will review chapter three of your Covert Operations handbook."

Only a handful of us had passed the written exam, so only a few bodies rose to leave the classroom. I got up and headed for the door, Syfera close at my heels.

Her two cohorts, Raijin and Fujin were waiting for her outside. The three of them combined made up what they called, "The Disciplinary Committee." They weren't a Garden sponsored organization by anyone's stretch of imagination, but they made it a point to enforce Garden rules and doled out punishment for violations, except when it came to themselves. What this really meant was that they used Garden rules as an excuse to beat up underclassmen. Though their means of enforcement was frowned upon by both faculty and the headmaster, they got away with it most of the time because fear of being caught by them inspired good behavior from the majority of the students.

Raijin was a massive girl, built like a brick wall. She was 250 pounds of solid muscle, very tall and very strong. Despite her girth, she was surprisingly girly. She wore make up, styled her hair in an attractive way, and she even occasionally wore skirts, which was kind of scary. She might have been intimidating if she'd actually been born with a brain. She was slow on the uptake and would do anything Syfera asked of her. I had a feeling, despite her size and association with Syfera, Raijin was actually just a big softy. Of the three, she was the least likely to beat someone up just for the hell of it, and she sometimes even apologized to those that Syfera tormented.

Fujin on the other hand was a short, skinny guy with prematurely gray hair and an eye patch. No one knew if he wore it because he thought it was cool, or if he'd actually lost his eye. He had a rotten attitude and had this weird, one-word-at-a-time way of speaking. To be honest, I was more afraid of him than I was of Raijin. He may have been small, but he was mean and had no qualms about brawling just for fun. And poor Raijin was apparently his personal punching bag. Whenever she said something stupid, he'd kick or punch her, though she barely noticed. I imagine to her, Fujin was a bit like a fly - a little annoying, but mostly harmless.

I followed them down the hallway, and Syfera said something to the both of them in a whisper. They both glanced back at me, and Raijin guffawed and elbowed Fujin in the side.

"IDIOT!" Fujin cried and kicked Raijin in the shin. Raijin acted as if nothing had happened and continued walking.

They were as amusing as they were sad.

The whispering continued until we reached the elevator. After a pause, Raijin turned to me and said, "Yo, Syfera says she wants a rematch. She says you'll be worm food next time, ya know?"

"There won't be a next time," I said.

The elevator doors opened and out flew a tall, skinny guy, who crashed right into me. Books and papers flew through the air and I fell right on my ass, which sent Raijin into hysterical laughter.

Syfera grinned and stepped into the elevator behind her two idiot friends. She gave a little wave and a smirk as the doors closed.

"Stupid bitch," I muttered.

"Hyne, I'm so sorry!" the tall guy said. He offered his hand and helped me to my feet. "I was late for class so I was in a hurry. This Garden's so big and I got lost and . . ."

"Watch where you're going from now on," I grumbled.

"I'm really sorry!" he said again. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"Is home room over?"

"Yeah."

"Shit! I hope it doesn't affect my grade on the exam. I just transferred here from Trabia Garden so that I could take the Field Exam."

"Don't worry about it. We've been dismissed until two."

"Thank Hyne," he said. "Hey, do you think you could show me around? I don't know where anything is, and every time I leave my room I get lost."

I rolled my eyes. This guy was way too perky. Or maybe he was just over caffinated. I didn't want to play tour guide, but I didn't have anything better to do and he seemed genuinely overwhelmed. It wouldn't hurt to make nice with someone I might end up working with, either during the exam or once I'd become a SeeD. "Yeah, sure," I muttered and motioned for him to follow me.

I regretted helping him out the minute the elevator doors closed. He began talking. About Trabia and his friends there and the weather and a whole bunch of other stuff I barely listened to.

"Oh, yeah," he said as we approached the directory, "My name's Selphan."

"Storm," I said.

"Hey, you're the gunblade girl, right?"

"One of them," I muttered.

"Are you active in any clubs or organizations here?" he asked.

"I'm in the _minding-my-own-business _club."

"I've never heard of that one," he said, taking me seriously. "I joined the Garden Festival Committee. I was on the one in Trabia, but we actually had a_ bunch _of members. I guess I'm the only one here, but I hope to get more people involved. Hey, you want to join? Everybody knows you and I hear you're pretty popular. Maybe if you join that'll make other people want to join too."

I wanted to laugh. People might have known my name, but I was by no means what anyone would have called popular. "Not interested," I said.

"Are you sure? It's gonna be a lot of fun," he said.

My head was still echoing with the Trabian's chatter when I finally returned to my room. I hoped my room mate wasn't there. She pretty much ignored me, but on occasion, she felt like talking, but usually only after some guy had dumped her and her friends were all sick of hearing her whine.

I never understood that whole _boy-crazy _thing. All the other girls my age, except Syfera were hopelessly in love with some stupid guy and spent all their free time in pursuit of said guy. then, when the guy turned to be a jerk, the girl cried about it. I've never been like that, so I couldn't even pretend to understand. I could have cared less about guys. That part of me that was supposed to care was either buried by ambition, long dead or was never there in the first place.

I was fortunate enough to have the room to myself, and I took a short nap without being disturbed. After I woke, I took a twenty minute shower, happy that there was no one banging on the door or asking me to plug in the curling iron.

I didn't know that my whole world was about to turn upside down.

------------------------------

_Notes: Quite a long one, eh? Well, I hope this was good. Again, I know this has probably been done before, and maybe done better, but I really liked the idea. So if you've read this far, please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you think. _


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